Emmys 2021: Supporting Actor In A Limited Series — Our Dream Nominees

By Team TVLine June 11, 2021 9:00 am EST

Courtesy of Amazon Prime (2); USA Network

Our 2021 Dream Emmy roundup concludes with the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category, and this burning question: Can anyone beat John Boyega?

The Star Wars vet has won raves — as well as a Golden Globe — for his work in the Amazon Prime anthology series Small Axe. And the kudos experts at GoldDerby have Boyega positioned as the overwhelming favorite.

What's more, Boyega has just racked up another major Emmy bellwether: A Dream Nomination from TVLine!

Scroll through the list below to review all seven of our Dream Nominees (remember, these aren't predictions; they're wish lists) and then tell us if our picks warrant a "Hell, yes!," "Um, no" or "How could you leave off so-and-so?!"For the record, 2021 Emmy nominations will be voted on from June 17-28, and unveiled on July 13. The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled to air on Sunday, Sept. 19 on CBS.

Scroll down for links to our previous Dream Emmy categories:

JOHN BOYEGA, SMALL AXE

Courtesy of Amazon Prime

WHY HE DESERVES A NOD: As London police officer Leroy Logan, Boyega made us want to rock leather pants in one turn, then inspired us to dismantle systemic racism in another. For every obstacle thrown in his character's path during Small Axe's "Red, White and Blue" installment, Boyega steadied his countenance as if preparing Leroy for war. The quiet moments resonated the most, and when Leroy finally convinced his doubtful father (the equally amazing Steve Toussaint) that he could do more good from within the system, the lump in our throats persuaded us, too.

BILL CAMP, THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT

Courtesy of Netflix

WHY HE DESERVES A NOD: "Girls don't play chess." With those curt words to 9-year-old Beth Harmon, Mr. Shaibel could not have been more wrong. Yet with the custodian's imminent awakening, Camp delivered a quiet performance that spoke volumes about the miracle Beth's appointed mentor would witness. When Shaibel needed to hold the line, Camp found the right level of authoritative. As such, when Shaibel was left to marvel at the prowess before him, it made the kudos extra special. "To tell you the truth of it, child, you are astounding." As was Camp's turn.

PAAPA ESSIEDU, I MAY DESTROY YOU

Courtesy of HBO

WHY HE DESERVES A NOD: Simply put, while watching Essiedu play Kwame, we were never aware that we were watching him play Kwame. Rather, we were utterly taken in, just observing the sexually adventurous character live his life, flitting from hookup to hookup until an assault shook him to a core that he'd have been reluctant to admit he even possessed. As the reverberations of that trauma shattered and reshaped Kwame, Essiedu stunned by putting forth a vulnerability matched only by the authenticity of his performance.

AARON PIERRE, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

Courtesy of Amazon Prime

WHY HE DESERVES A NOD: In a less capable actor's hands, Caesar could've been a trope who simply helped Cora escape. But the British-born theatre actor affectionately imbued the character with warmth and devotion far beyond Colson Whitehead's original prose and made the audience yearn for a fresh start for the pair as they ran toward a better life. While Pierre's Caesar suffered the same heart-wrenching fate as he did in the novel, Barry Jenkins worked with Pierre to eventually give Caesar and Cora the touching goodbye they deserved.

CHRISTIAN SLATER, DIRTY JOHN

Courtesy of USA Network

WHY HE DESERVES A NOD: Dirty John's second season may have been dubbed The Betty Broderick Story, but Slater was every bit as integral to the show's captivating storytelling as leading lady Amanda Peet. For large swaths of the show's eight-episode run, it was easy to dislike Dan Broderick, and Slater played his slimy side to nefarious perfection. But as Betty and Dan's split got more complicated, and Betty spiraled out of control, Slater brought an enigmatic nuance to the man that kept us questioning how much he deserved our sympathy.

DONALD SUTHERLAND, THE UNDOING

Courtesy of HBO

WHY HE DESERVES A NOD: Franklin Reinhardt did not turn out to be the murderer on The Undoing, but Sutherland's portrayal of Nicole Kidman's onscreen father scared us to death. Whether the retired financier was administering tough love to his son-in-law or threatening the dean at his grandson's private school, Sutherland imbued his character with a terrifying charm.

GLYNN TURMAN, FARGO

Courtesy of FX

WHY HE DESERVES A NOD: The veteran actor brings a grizzled gravitas to every role he plays, and his precisely calibrated work as verbose consigliere Doctor Senator was no exception. As crime boss Loy Cannon's levelheaded advisor, Doctor Senator kept his cool amid bursts of mob violence and was always the smartest guy in the room, specializing in spinning out lengthy monologues about the ways of the world — and we savored every last word.